Machine gun supporting device



Nov. 9, 1943. J. c. TRo'rTER MACHINE GUN SUPPORTING DEVICE Filed May 13,1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 9, 1943. Q TROTTER 2,334,152

MACHINE GUN SUPPORTING DEVICE Filed May 13, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 mJm/MMSH01/M444 Nov. 9, 1943. J, c; TRQTTER v2,334,152

MACHINE GUN SUPPORTING DEVICE Filed May 13, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3Vice'iorthe Hummv l*One Vobject of thisinvention `is to overcome n ygun.

3' of the airplane.

. tofaordja "'chutefwhich will permit the oarf bridge/links ejected from"the -gun Ato f all therein l l vPatented Nov. 9, 1943 GUNSUPPGRTINGJDEVICE .reim cf'rromr, andere, N. Y., assignent .Ben AircraftCorporation, Buiialo, N.Y.v,n-a,corpora tion of New York appucauonMay-1.3, 1940, sem-1N. esmas?.

(cree-3.1) 3

l 7-Claims' yinvention relates 1:to vsupporting devices land -moreparticularly lhas reference to `a supporting'ldevice for machine guns',the 'device being-'provided with Ymeans for 'attaching thereto n' the'`annnun'iticn boxes yand additional means ffor permitting the ammunitionbelt to feed into-'the feed vbloei:` ci the gun.

Heretoore no practical =means for attaching the'ammunitio'nboxtothelrnaf'shne gun orto thevmachine gunfsupport has been proposed. Of

:course it-will -be readily appreciated ythat by mount-ing the'ammunition -box vdirectly -to the gn maltel-*ially' increases theweight1 ci the gun Aand'detractsiromthe aimingcf thegun. Also,

a'sff-far as'I am aware, ythe-'majority of #the ammunition boxesmovewith -the gum -and'b'ein'g `oset from vthecenter line ofthemounting-'degun 'induces `a 'vibration in 'the they disadvantagesnowpresent in Athe art.

nnothervcbjectis to provide `an ammunition box r`forieedinjg-thecartridges into the -machine Yet another object of thisinvention-iste prov'idea flight weight cradle for lsupporting-machineguns to be used in confined spaces, such a's"airplanes',` thelight Iweight cradles-having attachedftheretojthe anununi'tion-boxes. yl A'still *further object of this invention is to 'e provide 'a'stationary amn'lunition `box ^for lmachine guns -Which is rprovided withLmeans 'ffor 'enabling the cartridge belt to *feediinto-the gun When"theIfeed `blocls. thereof is'not necessarily "1 onfthe center line vof theammunition box.

' Q V-Arradditional#object isto provide-aconstructicnf'ofthetyper'described which canbevcheaply' f andgeaslymanufactured`r and which-consists lof a'fewmain'fworking parts.

j iTo'aphieVe'-1the labove and other objects, they Y invention itsbroadest concept comprises 'a f pairof iight weight cradles Vwhich fsupport twin machine fguns' The cradles `are carried uby a hollowvsupportthat is -swiveled in the fuselage The 'support is so formed asand bedeposited in a suitable receptacle..

1 'y `rllhe'cradlesarecarried by^a l'saddle Iwhich is rotatably'journaled 4in 'the support so that the gzinilrlay*be redupwardly ordownwardly. An ammunition box is *attached to thecradleat a Figure ;1`is la `side :elevfatienal =view `slfrowing'l` one of a pair- -oi machineguns'mou-rited I`on novel f structure.- l

-Figure Zis --a top yplan View cfthe--construotionshown in Figure 1. 1-

Figure -Y3is -a sectional-viewtaken -alnnfg 'the Referring vtothedraWi-ngs, Aand 'more f particularly 'itc iF-igures il yand 18,' ILhave 'shown 1a-vertical support member-l provided-etats upper endwith apair of cradles 2 and 3 each of which supports a'machinegun 4.'Thesupport il iincludes a yhollow drum Ei which :is "formed vwith a1cutaway portion i at1its-upper-`end.- -A bore 'Il is formed-in -the-drum ^5-and `plates Aare positioned on opposite sides :of `the-drum--thereby closingl the cutaway gportion. which fthe cradles 2 7 and3 -are Yattachedito i'the support `I is provided In Figure "8, it 'willbe noted that ythe saddle 9 'includes itwo jparts it and fH-eachyof--which is disposed 4on opposite sides fof thesupport.Thamem-berll'll shas integrally formed therewith -'a horizcntall'portion i2 which is -of such dialnetenas `torotate f reely inthebore 1. 'The partv H is formed -w'rt'h a horizontal portion t3 -whichtssnugly Within "a bore M formed "in 'the #member A locking pin Il 5projects through aligned rapertures in `the members +2 and I3forirolding' thesev Jparts in properposition.

'By virtue Aof fthe above 'described saddle, it'will beY'apprecierted.that 'the'member 9 can be swungI through -an arc aboveand below -lthe i horizontall plane which of course v-will enable `theVmachin gunste have flexibility of operation. v

In Figures 2 and-3, it will be seen that the cradles '2 and 3 ycompriseYthe following,r 'elerrlentsA Y formed in the 'saddle 8; *Asaconsequence, the

cradlesy 2 and 3v are rattached to the support AI byineansv of thensaddle land can vbe moved" in a Vertical plane. At the outer end` ofAtlieftube '2' and its corresponding member for-the cradle 3,.

is yattached. a bracket 2 "to "which is "removably aixed a 'gun sight23'. "The rearward lends of ,Nr retos AA saddle -9 "by the tubes 2O and2Iy are closed by means of a bracket 24 to which is suitably` attachedan. op-

erating handle 25. Of course each gun 4 hasa. usual .back plateconstruction which I designate generally 26. A ring trigger 21 is alsosuitably associated with the rear portionv of thev assembly. l

The forward end of the tube 20 is closed by means ofa'bracket 28 whichextends transversely of the tubes 2li' and 2| and is attached to' eachvtube as shown at 29.

Positioned between the tubes 20 and 2I and suitably attached to theprecise details of construction herein set forth way of illustration, asit is apparent that Vmany f changes and -variations may be madetherein.l by those skilled-in the art, without departingirom i thespirit of the invention, or exceedingthe scope of the appended claims.

Iclaim: 1. Ina machine gunLa mountingdevicecomprising .a cradle in whichthe gun is 'adapted to be carried for fore andaft movement; a y' supportfor mounting the cradle to have swIvd-i "ing movement, anammunition boxremovably atfront bracket 28 andy a rear bracket 30,15 a recoil`compensating device 3 I.

attached at its, front endto the transversely ex-y tending member y28and its Varms 33 are secured to the. for-ward portion of the. gun casingyas vshown at 35. As best-shown inv Figure 2, aA slidable strap36 havingdownturned ends 3l which flt over the] tutes-zucca 2| -is pcsitieneabetweenrthe support I andtheoperating handlesfz. The

strap `36 is provided'rwith lugs` 38 which t into o themachine guncasing. W It will befappreciated therefore that vby virtue of-` thebracket Vcon-` struction 32 and the strap 3 6 themachinegun .4 iismounted in the cradle2 forforward and rearward movement upon thefiringvof the gun.

; A5 hereinbefore pointed out, an irriportantfea.v

ture of this invention is the attaching of the ain-j f munition boxtothe cradlecjReferrin'g to Figures 2 and 3, it can beseen thatanammunitionbox e 401s attached tc the tube zo by means cf 'bolts 4 I.Each ammunition box is secured to `theradle at a point adjacent tctue-feed blociregthegun, and this block is indicated by the numeraigdZ.Attached to the upper portion `of the ammunition box by a bracket 43 isa guide member 4 4.f Con-v sequently the -guide u, win permit theam'mumtion' beltjtc feed into the gun whenthe feed` blockv 42' maynot'be onthecenter line of ammunition box I0, .Thus the gun 'l canreciproateslightly.

the belt havingacertain degree. ofiiiexibiliti/ totake up thediierencebetween the center of..y feed andthe .center of the ammunitionbox.A A

s een. vthat there is integrally formed! with `the member 5 andextending downwardly therefrom a chute 46 which isformed withvangoisetdiseferring again to 'gures 1 and 3, itcanjbe charge mouth IIIVto whichcan beattachedacon: e l tainer (not shown) for collecting thelinks v:which f are ejected' by .the into' .the drum. ,ithrolsh slots 5.Also, a. spindle VV 1 8is assorelated with th Support I ,forinsertioninto a socketor'the like in the fuselageofgtheairplane solthat theycradles 2 and 3 and the gun! may have swivelingmovement. j i.; j It`will be readily appreciatedfrom the above description that I haveprovided ,a -novel1 conf formed therewith;y a :second struction forattaching an ammunition box V:to a Y' supporting .cradle for machinelihe f box can beV easily removed from and vattached itc. the

cradle andis further provided with gidi'ng'mans for feeding ytheammunition. belt'intofeedbloeit;V

of the gun even though the feed block is not .on

the center line of the ammunition box. Theydevice is relatively simpleinconst'ructionfand'ppf,. erationand can of: course be .cheaplyY andeasily inanufactured.V r Y .f Y. lli/' hile.'l'.have'y shown anddescribed-themeferred embodiment of my invention, I wish it to beredwood tha-Ii de ,not connue man( the ety - comprising a verticalsupport, y

said L- shaped portion.

' e Sims. a hollowzsupmtt. .abqrelmsam .mtatablymountedj 1nA the bore. ff

prising a .hollowjhorizorital member tached vto thecradle, guidefmeanssupported by o the upper portion of theammunitionboxto guide rvthecartridge belts into the feed block of the nia-v chine gun;' .and saidsupport havingmeansfto admit the'ejectedlinks-from the'guninto thehollowsupport forc'ollection.

2. In a machine. gun, 'a mounting devieecomprising a cradle in which thegunis adapted to.y

bearried forfore and aft movement. -ahollow support. for'mounting thecradleto haveswivding movement, an'ammunition attaohedeto the cradle.,guide means supported on.

portion of thefammunitionebox to guide the 1 triage belts. intothezfjeed block` of `the gun, means comprising 'a collectionpoint ciatedwith saidv supportjintorwhichthelkpka ejectedv cy'tnesun are red, and`the links from said collection point. v f

= 3.111 n'ei machine gun provmedwithcex'adf.

block. a mounting device comprising acrldienf which the gun is; adaptedto be rrioimteti:lorim@4 and. aftmvement. ahollow supvdrt. formt; ms.the cradle. t0? hve. Swiveuns ammunition box attached to the cradletion box tc guide the cartridge belts into thefeed bleek. cf .themachine gun, means ascocmedvith e the support into .which the linksejected giurare fed. .and'ahute cmmunisstmsmth means and attachedthe.supprtidfbil being adaptedtto remove the links trom said r.

letion point.

4. In mount i comme fer sans., shallow support. a bora .arotatablyfmounted in the borI erthe. ySaddlV een prising a 11011.05.harizotal Y the b oreg' and Aan v Isshaped formed therewith, an d acradle in' which-'thgfmef chinegun is ymounted. dapted v for Vmachinethe bore and any fitted" Within" the nSt'mentionedQ-hw l 1" member and"hviasl an' 'Lfhrd tegrally formed therewith. means horizontalmembersi-ftosetherr .and and. .ff

.6e-11n 'a sun assembl fbrovied. chine sunshvins vfeed ,blvcktamwntmsrmcarryinggthemachinefsuns eradleedino the fsiblock-bfiesch. machine' wat.adeeud mansion the ruler l each ammunition nox io guido ino ammunitionbelts into the feed block of each gun.

7. In a gun assembly provided with twin mav chine guns having feedblocks, a mounting devvice comprising a vertical support, adapted forcarrying the machine guns attached cradles to the support on oppositesides thereof, means f to mount the machine guns for forward andrearward movementA in each cradle during firing of the gun, anammunition box removably secured to each cradle adjacentoto the feedblock of each chine guns are adapted to pass for collection.

JOI-IN C. TROTTER. y

